The annual Clam Harbour Sandcastle Competition, like many events, was forced to cancel this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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But the cancellation wasn’t going to stop the Giza family from getting out on the Nova Scotia beach with the buckets and shovels and sculpt an impressive sandcastle, as it’s become an annual tradition.
“We come out every year to the sandcastle festival,” said Courtney Giza. “For as long as I can remember.”
This would have been the Giza family’s 20th year competing in the event, which they’ve won seven times.
There’s no top prize or cheques being handed out this year, but that doesn’t matter to Team Giza.
“It’s so nice to be able to come out to an event and you don’t have to worry about the pandemic and everything else going on in the world,” said Giza, 23. “It’s nice just to come out to the beach and kind of forget about it.”
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Giza was just three-years-old when her dad Graeme and her aunt Ardelle first picked up their bucket and shovels and got involved in the competition.
The event draws thousands of people to the beach each summer and will often feature more than 50 competitors building sandcastles on the beach.
“It’s definitely all about family for us,” said sculptor Ardelle Giza. “The competition is fun, and going to the beach is fun but we don’t go to the beach as a family and build a castle for a few hours in a day except for the sands sculpture competition.”
Ardelle says building the sandcastle helped kick the COVID-19 boredom aside and even makes life feel somewhat normal.
“It does feel a little more normal than just sitting at home and watching TV,” she said.
As for the festival, organizers say they look forward to hosting the 42nd annual Clam Harbour Sandcastle Competition in 2021.
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